Tattoo

Chapter 2

The morning comes with a stagnating air, foreboding omens, and a ache in my legs that I know means bad things to come. Still I stretch easing the muscles in my neck, back, and arms for a sense of regularity that is usually commonplace in my own house. Nearby Happy is indulging on a freshwater trout which I can only assume he got from the marketplace last night when I had been preoccupied. It looked like a rainbow, nice and fat but only around five pounds from what I could see.

For myself, I had pre cooked baked beans that would do for breakfast until I could get some more fresh material in the market later. Though I do wish my companion had seen fit to get me something yesterday, but I can't blame him. Honestly he is too cute, and oblivious in the way of good manners.

Sun is pleasant on my skin, temperature grueling for anyone else, but I am extremely accustomed to high temperatures thanks to Dad. So it is in fact a charming change from the colder days of previous, now I can soak in the rays and actually feel the heat on my skin.

Luckily no horrid surprise greats me on my way to the guild, nor when I reach the underlevel. It is less relieving as everyone runs about attempting to predetermine how Phantom will attack next, or who will be involved. How it can be avoided, and allies or S-class mages we could recall for aid. Mystogan being nowhere near, and Gildarts impossible to contact Mirajane does not seem content to sit idle and is attempting to get into communication with them. Cana nearby looking on her cards to see if she could pinpoint any locations of the astray S-classes. Others who aren't panicking are drinking and upset, ranting about in a furious fashion about how rotten their opposing guild is. Mainly this 'job' was taken up by the older generation.

Erza was pacing with her eyes closed, I decide not to disturb her.

Lucy is quiet in the corner glaring at her skirt as if it had harmed her. Grey not far away talking in stoic tones about something boring, clearly trying to clear the poor woman up with a recount of something stupid to have occured in the hall.

Master Makarov was absent, and it bit at my conscious a little to not see him present, the whole guild attempting to function without the soothing comfort of the resident wizard saint. I had hoped that it was merely a weakening spell cast on him, but Gramps is as tough as nails, and if it had knocked him out it would be for awhile. Hopefully the treatment he got would get him out his ill state fast. Knowing the man as I do, I have little doubt that he will join us all eventually as we inevitably challenge Phantom for their actions. No one is comfortable without the old man providing his own type of solidity to the members.

In particular, the weeping woman, Lucy now in the corner clearly guilt stricken and fearful is taken all the proceedings the hardest. A misunderstood self blame that could not be more misplaced. She ran from a home which offered no love or comfort to her, and ended up in a place that did. How was she to know what would occur with her father? The man hiring a guild to find a daughter he had shown little compassion for was strange at best, suspicious at worst. Why suddenly care? Not that it mattered to me, the only impact his odd behaviour had on me was affecting my friend. I couldn't abide by that even if I hadn't man that alone warranted at least two solid punches. Even still, I could not hold grudge to the man completely, he was not responsible for how Phantom handled its jobs and therefore could not have known they would act so brashly.

I just wish Lucy could see that as plainly as I do. I can't provide much in way of comfort, but guilt does no one any favours and only leaves place for more of itself in the future, so I have to do something to ease her mind. After all, she is one of us new or not.

-Jerk that he is, I bet Laxus would disagree. He can be a complete asshole, annoyingly, it's part of the reason why I was attracted to him in the first place. -Lucy wouldn't approve- -